Playa de La Rada

About Playa de La Rada

Playa de La Rada is Estepona's main town beach, running along the bay from the marina in the west to the town centre. Some maps label its eastern part Playa de la Cala, though that is not its official name.

La Rada runs for about 2.3 km and is between 30 and 80 metres wide, with a palm-lined promenade along its whole length, backed by chiringuitos and restaurants, and Estepona's marina at the western end. The water is usually calm, and the floor of the bay holds a large meadow of protected Posidonia seagrass. Estepona's old town is a short walk inland.

Facilities are those of a busy urban beach: a lifeguard team, toilets, showers and footbaths, sunbed and umbrella hire, water-sports rental, children's and sports areas, and places to eat. There is step-free access, an unsupervised car park with more than 100 spaces, and urban buses.

June and September are the best months, with warm water and more room than in July and August, when the beach fills up. Mornings are quietest on the sand; in the evening the promenade is at its most pleasant for a walk once the heat drops.

Playa de La Rada in pictures

What you’ll find

• Beach boatsBoat rentalRent
• Beach lifeguardSupervised swimmingFree
• Beach sunbedsSunbed hireRent
• Beach umbrellasUmbrella hireRent
• Public showersWash bodyFree
• Public toiletsPersonal SanitattionFree
• Sandy beachRest on beachFree
• Sea shoreSnorkellingRentSwimmingFree

Nearby places to visit

Beyond the marina, Playa de El Cristo (3 km) lies on the coast west of the town. In the other direction, Playa del Padrón (3 km) is a semi-urban beach of dark sand and some pebbles about 1.4 km long. Beyond it, Playa del Castor (5 km) is a narrow beach of sand and boulders where the Río Castor reaches the sea. For golf, the Valle Romano estate in the hills west of town has Valle Romano Golf (5 km), an 18-hole course with an apartment hotel beside it.